My Ship
by CeliaEquus
Summary: A songfic! Long ago, Peggy Carter taught Phil Coulson a song. Years later, Steve Rogers remembers some of the tune, but he needs someone to teach him the rest. Step in Agent Coulson. Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, or any other Marvel thingummies, nor am I making money from this. Nor do I own 'My Ship' or its musical of origin, "Lady in the Dark".


"My Ship"

Phil would always remember Peggy Carter. She'd personally hand-picked him for SHIELD; Nick had just agreed with her decision. He helped her when she moved, since he had the free time and understood just how precious some of her things were. She told him stories about Captain America, stories which had his heart racing.

It were the stories that she told him about Steve Rogers which warmed his heart.

One day, he had found her humming a song. He listened until the end; and when she smiled up at him, he smiled back.

"That sounded lovely," he said.

Peggy nodded. "Steve thought so as well. He could never remember the words; he had no time to learn them. But he liked to hum it."

"Will you teach me?"

Her smile was soft. "Of course, if you would like to learn it. I used to dream about it being our song."

"If it's too painful—"

She snorted delicately. "Painful? Who do you think you're talking to?" He blushed, rightly chastened. "Come along. Help me find the sheet music."

* * *

Amongst Steve's effects, kept by SHIELD all these years, was a letter from Peggy. He never knew about it until he finished going through the files Director Fury had brought to his apartment. There was no way he was moving into Tony's mansion, not until they had learned to get along. He had a spare bedroom, where he had told Thor he could stay when he was in New York, although the prince would probably prefer to stay in the luxury of Stark Tower. That kind of thing just wasn't for Steve.

He hummed the song Peggy liked so much. They'd written to each other, and talked over the phone, but it just wasn't the same. The memories he had were still fresh, and hers were faded, just like the ink in her letter.

'I hope you read this one day,' she had written. 'If we still have a chance, I would love to take you on our date. Maybe we could dance to our song? However, if we never meet again, please find someone who will sing it with you.'

The problem was, Steve could remember most of the tune, but the rest evaded him. And he never had been able to remember the words. Something about jam and spice, a sapphire sky, and true love. Nothing else. He didn't know enough about computers to look up the words, and he doubted he would be able to find it anyway, with so little information.

Sighing, he knocked at Agent Coulson's door, report in hand.

"Come in," Coulson said. Steve twisted the knob and pushed, and the door creaked open. That was actually a good security system, despite the high-pitched grinding noise. Coulson was probably used to it.

"Good afternoon, sir," Steve said respectfully, and he marched forward.

"Good afternoon, Captain Rogers. What can I do for you?"

"Just handing this in," he said. He placed the report in the dead centre of the desk, and Coulson looked pleased. That look always warmed Steve's heart.

"Thank you," the agent said, sliding it closer.

"Sir?"

"Yes, captain?"

"I was wondering. Is it possible to look up the words to songs using a computer? I don't want to bother Tony or his… JARVIS about this."

"You can just Google— I mean, look up the lyrics online," he said. "Which song are you after?"

"Oh, it was just, uh, hypothetical. You know. For future reference." Coulson nodded. "Well, thank you, sir. I'll see you later."

"Have a nice day, captain."

* * *

Later, Steve decided that, yes, he did need Coulson's help. He kept finding cooking and jewellery websites when he used the search engine, and it was driving him nuts.

When he reached Agent Coulson's office, he paused outside the door, and listened.

"I can wait the years till it appears one fine day, one spring…" Someone was singing, and that someone must have been Coulson. It sounded too much like his speaking voice for it not to be him. Steve hardly wanted to knock; but that was Peggy's song. The one which was supposed to be their song.

When Coulson called for him to enter again, he stepped into the room shyly, and shut the door.

"Did you forget something, captain?" Coulson asked, looking up from the rest of the reports the others had obviously dropped by in the last few hours. He was making notes from them even as he spoke.

"Uh, I was going to ask for help with finding that song."

"Please, take a seat. What do you know of it?"

"Actually," Steve sat down, "I think it's the one you were just singing."

Phil looked confused for a moment. "Sing… Oh. Sometimes I don't even realise I'm doing it. That's right." The confusion cleared. "Agent Carter told me—"

"Peggy? You've been speaking with her?"

He grimaced slightly. "This was a long time ago, captain. She taught me the song."

"When was this?"

"Hmm. I'd say about ten to fifteen years ago."

"Do you know if she taught anyone else?"

"You'd have to ask her that yourself, Captain Rogers. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, uh, no reason. Could you…" He blushed, looking down at his hands. "Could you teach it to me?"

"Of course. Not right now, though."

"Uh… do you know my address?"

"Yes."

"Great. Well, come over to my place anytime. You know, if you want to."

Coulson nodded. "Will do, Captain Rogers."

"Call me Steve."

"Call me Phil."

They smiled at each other.

* * *

Once in awhile, SHIELD agents would be allowed to let down their hair (sometimes literally) and have some fun. One of these fun-filled evenings, Steve – now considered an honorary agent – was invited. People were encouraged to perform if they felt like it; but, for the most part, they just mingled. (Even SHIELD workers are allowed to be shy, okay?)

On this evening, Steve pulled Phil over to the piano, and forced him onto the piano stool.

"Can we?" he asked. "This is an actual grand, not just an upright grand. Where did it even come from?" Phil shrugged. "You can play it for memory, can't you?"

"You know I can, Steve."

"So?"

He sighed. "Okay. I'm just surprised you feel confident about this."

"I wouldn't if you weren't here."

Phil's head jerked up at that, and couldn't look away for what felt like eons. Nonetheless, his fingers found the correct notes, and he began to play.

Instead of facing everyone else, Steve half-leaned on the piano, just watching Phil. He chose to sing softly.

'_My ship has sails that are made of silk,_

_The decks are trimmed with gold,_

_And of jam and spice_

_There's a paradise in the hold._'

Phil smiled at him gently, and Steve stood straighter.

'_My ship's aglow with a million pearls_

_And rubies fill each bin,_

_The sun sits high in a sapphire sky_

_When my ship comes in._'

He traced aimless lines on the polished wood, continuing to sing for one person to hear, never noticing that conversation was dying down around them.

'_I can wait the years till it appears_

_One fine day, one spring,_

_But the pearls and such_

_They won't mean much_

_If there's missing just one thing._'

Steve sighed, unaware that his body was angled towards Phil. The agent was concentrating on the keys, and missed all of this.

'_I do not care if that day arrives,_

_That dream need never be,_

_If the ship I sing doesn't also bring_

_My own true love to me._'

Phil joined him for the last lines, barely breathing the words as he listened to Steve.

'_If the ship I sing doesn't also bring_

_My own true love to me._'

Phil slowly released the sustaining pedal, resting his feet on the ground once more as the last note died away, never breaking his gaze with Steve.

They both jumped at the applause, and Steve turned again towards Phil, using him as a way to avoid eye contact with those cheering and calling for an encore.

"We only know the one song," he protested, barely loud enough to reach Phil, let alone anyone else. Fury clapped him on the back.

"Now the others don't have any excuse not to sing," he said, and his eye narrowed as he turned his attention to Phil. "You never told me you could play."

"I prefer to keep an air of mystery, sir."

"Hmm." Fury looked from him, back to Steve. "If I'd known about you, I could've invited the two of you together."

"Maybe next time," Steve said, unthinking. Then his eyes widened, and he glanced at Phil. "Uh, well, you know, you don't have to. I meant… if you wanted to. We could." He frowned, hands clenching and unclenching. "Help me here, Phil!"

Phil just smiled. Steve looked so appealing when he was flustered.

* * *

**Avengers songfic! Hang on. I did that with the Christmas fic. Meh.**

**Capsicoul songfic! That's better. I was thinking about doing a chaptered Capsicoul story with various songs, one per chapter, and just have them as individual, unconnected drabbles. Or maybe connected. I don't even know…**

**Please review! The story behind the song – according to my sister, since I've never seen the show and Wikipedia has not been forthcoming – is that the main character can never remember the entire song. Finally she meets a man she falls in love with, and realises that he's her true love when she hears him singing 'My Ship', the song which has been haunting her for years. Something like that. Hence Peggy's note.**


End file.
